Animation Student Showcase
Introduction
The showcase begins with the work completed by our freshman and sophomore students in their Introduction to Animation and Advanced Animation classes in which students learn to use Toon Boom Harmony and the 12 Principles of Animation. After taking these two courses, students have the ability to create hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation and rig and keyframe two-dimensional characters.
Pre-production I and Pre-production II cover character design, layouts, storyboards…putting together all the necessary pieces that must be completed before production begins. Students master the basics of Photoshop.
Motion Graphics introduces students to Adobe After Effects; in this class, animation students learn compositing, motion tracking, animating text, 2D character rigging and animation and working with 3D layers and lights. They also have the opportunity to collaborate with students from other programs of study, like graphic design and digital filmmaking. Finally, in Post-Production, students learn to polish their finished animation by recording and editing sound, adding color correction and grading and motion design titles and credits. The class also works on a long-form client project, giving our second-year students the vital opportunity to experience the demands of working as professional animators.
Joshua Muntain
Assistant Professor of Animation
Student Submissions
Click the video player to view each student’s work.
Sierra Annunziata
Synopsis
An unconventional story of grief. For Those Who Are Waiting follows a young couple’s small moments in their life. Small moments that in hindsight, are far more important to us than we realize.
Bio
Sierra Annunziata is a recent graduate from Villa Maria College’s BFA Animation Program. She was born in Buffalo, New York and is 22 years old. She does in fact enjoy long walks on the beach and Chinese food. She makes a mean alfredo and spends most of her time creating artwork. She hopes to finish her book series one day.
Alexis Berry
Synopsis
A narrative about cats, specifically my childhood cat, Dragon, and his short relationship with my current cat, Salem.
Courtney Brisky
Bio
I am a college student at Villa Maria majoring in Animation hoping to become a concept artist. I hope to join a studio to continue learning more about the industry and to help create amazing projects and meet other creative artists!
Jacklynn Cole
Synopsis
A story about a whimsical child who goes to the playground to meet someone she thought she would never expect – a frog.
Joseph Covich
Synopsis
A film about an Australian man named Roger who owns a food truck.
Andres Diaz Pedraza
Synopsis
An alien creature grows through different stages of its life, as it passes through the many strange rooms and contraptions of a giant structure called The Great Machine.
Bio
As an artist I love weird and creepy sci-fi worlds and concepts. I enjoy morphing and twisting things just enough to unnerve people. Changing what we know about the real world into something unnatural. But I still want to create a sense of beauty and wonder for these strange places.
Moyce Farley
Synopsis
A female model is seen in different camera angles and backgrounds dancing, clapping and smiling to relaxing music. She moves along to the beat and the music video showcases all the fun places she ends up. She uses her bubbly facial expressions to add to the theme of relaxation in the music video.
Bio
I am primarily a 2d animator and 3d background/ scene creator. I like creating primarily minority characters to exercise representation. I enjoy animating in Toon Boom the best as I know my way around it and my most prized work has been done in this program.
Joaquin Figueroa
Synopsis
This is a Senior Project I created during my final semester. Its about the adventures of Team LERR, the newest addition of their Daughter/niece: Lunias and, plenty of buddies and enemies that are to be met and seen in a series of crazy cartoony antics.
Bio
2D Character Designer and Animator
Bailey Hall
Synopsis
Errand is a short film about a young demon who is running an errand for her friend. This demon, Lina, takes a trip to the next town over, but while there she encounters a few humans who have it out for demons like her. She is protected by her human friend Hana, who walks her back home to ensure her safety. Lina’s life and loved ones are impacted by the prejudices she faces by being non-human.
Bio
I am an artist and animator that aims to provide suitable representation in animated media while telling emotional stories. As a black child growing up, I very rarely got to see characters in cartoons who looked like myself, and had always wished to be able to see more. Now, I am working to grant that wish for those who wished the same thing.
Molly Lonigan
Synopsis
In the Greek Myth, The Abduction of Persephone, the wants and desires of both Demeter – Persephone’s mother – and Hades – Persephone’s husband – are considered and deemed worthy of notice. However, no one ever asked Persephone what she wanted. No one ever asked how she felt. Now she finds herself perpetually torn between the two people she loves most; no matter where she is, or who she is with, she finds herself missing the other.
Bio
Mary Elizabeth “Molly” Lonigan is a versatile animator with special skills and interest in 2D character design and storyboarding. A recent graduate of the BFA Animation program at Villa Maria College, Molly’s experience includes designing and/or leading several projects to completion, including an animated professional music video (Time for Bed, released 11/2021).
Dale Rauscher
Synopsis
While a man looks at his toys and reminisces, the toys come to life and shrink him down to their size. He finds himself surrounded by his toys and is met face to face with his old woody toy who is acting as a leader for the toys. Woody goes on to tell him through writing notes that the toys need a sacrifice to be freed. Now the race is on as he tries to survive the onslaught of toys trying to kill him.
Bio
My name is Dale Rauscher and I strive to be a stop motion animator. I strive to make animations that not only I enjoy but everyone else enjoys. I’m a nerd who is influenced by things such as Star Wars, Toy Story, and many other films and shows from my youth.
Bailey Tessier
Synopsis
Set in a future where magical beings have thoroughly intermingled with humans, a college friend group hang out in a long-abandoned cathedral. Jun, a fairy, has grown up around the city Unicorn Sanctuary and has been increasingly worried about the recent unicorn collapses. Together with Fern, Galel, Isko, and Nou, they investigate to uncover the mystery surrounding the alleged poisonings. However, the closer they get to the truth, the more the danger rises…
Bio
Bailey Tessier is a graduating student of Villa Maria College’s BFA Animation program. She is skilled in 2D animation and illustration.
Anthony Tran
Synopsis
This short film is a promotional ad for Villa Maria College’s Digital Media Arts Programs. It showcases what you could learn from studying these programs including Game Design, Animation, and Motion Design.
Bio
My name is Anthony Tran. I am a graduate in the Animation program with a minor in Business Administration at Villa Maria College. I am very ambitious and try to be the best version of myself.
Zachary Voss
Synopsis
As the film starts, we are placed into a 3D world and see a sprite gracefully move about. The more we follow the sprite the more playfully the sprite becomes and the more we see the 3D world. Magical mushrooms glowing and other sprites flowing upwards. Travel through further and we see lances, swords, and shields on the ground as if a battle were there. The sprite moves fast to the cliff and becomes sporadic before going off the cliff. Then the rock across the way, starts to glow with words. We hear a roar of a mighty beast, and a dragon soars up and disappears.
Bio
My name is Zachary Voss a visual effects artist. Working with visual effects brings me joy. Within my work I explore the different ways to create new effects and reuse old ones. I mostly work in After Effects.
